Afghan parliament attack widely condemned

KABUL (Pajhwok): President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah and a number of foreign countries and their embassies in Kabul strongly condemned attack on parliament in Kabul on Monday.

President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani categorically condemned the attack. Soon after the attack, he contacted Speaker Wolesi Jirga Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi who updated the president about the situation, a statement from the Presidential Palace said.

“Attacking innocent people in this holy month is an open war with the religion of Islam. The perpetrators of this attack have no religion at all,” the president noted.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah in his separate message condemned the act as unislamic and an attack on the entire Afghan population, a statement from the CEO office said.

Former president Hamid Karzai also condemned the attack in strongest possible terms by saying that “such kinds of dastardly attacks cannot stop Afghans marching on path to stability, progress and self reliance.”

A statement released by UNAMA quoted Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Secretary-General's deputy special representative for Afghanistan as saying: “The attack against Parliament, for which the Taliban have claimed responsibility, is a clear and deliberate affront to democracy in Afghanistan--- an attack against the Afghan peoples’ democratically elected representatives."

It said UNAMA is also deeply concerned by reports of civilian casualties from the attack and reiterates that international humanitarian law, which binds all parties to the conflict in Afghanistan, including the Taliban, prohibits attacks against civilians at any time and in any place.

In a separate statement, the US Embassy in Kabul strongly condemned the attack on Afghan Parliament. “The attack on Parliament shows blatant disrespect for democracy and the rule of law. At this time, we offer our sympathies to the people of Afghanistan and the Members of Parliament, who suffered as a result of this attack. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families at this time,” it added.

Pakistani Embassy in Kabul quoted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as saying that terrorism is the common enemy of both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Sharif said: “Steps are being taken in unison to defeat the nefarious designs of the terrorists.” He extended condolences to those who were injured in this incident.

Similarly, Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said: “Parliament of any country represents aspirations of its people and attack on it is highly deplorable.”

“…Pakistan strongly condemns the attack on the building of Wolesi Jirga (lower house of the Parliament) in Kabul. We commend the role of Afghan security forces in effectively countering this act of terrorism. We stand with our Afghan brothers in our common struggle against terrorism,” it concluded.